Ex-Bollywood guys make a 'Goan movie'

Shanawaz Nelikunnil quit his advertising job in Bangalore years ago to set up a film production house in Goa in 2007. But he couldn’t find like minded people to take his dream forward. “Goa was not film ready then,” he shrugged. He then worked as an AD for a London-based film ‘Tripping on a Bicycle’ which was shot in Curca, Goa, before going to Mumbai to work in Bollywood.Finding himself in a rut, he left Bollywood and returned to Goa to work on CandyFlip, which the 30-year-old describes as “a story that reflects the unfortunate plight of hundreds of people, both locals and tourists, every year, who lose their minds, or in street terms – ‘flip out’ - because of overdose of recreational drugs.”
Working in Bollywood, Shanawaz realized that there was nothing much to learn from the industry by simply assisting on sets. “That’s when I started going behind the scenes, which means just going on sets to observe and learn. I did that for many films, such as Rajneeti, Ra.One etc. Being behind the sets is the least responsible job. If you are an AD, it’s more of getting extras ready, etc and the director hardly ever involves you in the creative ideation of it all."
He continues, "That’s when I decided, for the final time, to leave everything and come to Goa and start working on the film. I came to Palolem in 2011 and starting writing a script. However, I stopped working on that script and starting working on a new one, the outcome which was CandyFlip, after I met this happy-go-lucky local, who had once tripped over a drink and was never the same again. Every character in the film is someone or the other whom I have met in Goa. They are all real.”
Currently working on the film production and shooting in Palolem, Shanawaz is helped by his two buddies - 27-year-old actress and graphic designer, Valeriya Polyanychko and Abhishek Bomanna, 36, director and visual artist - both quit their regular film jobs in Mumbai.
Working on a budget, with no investors backing them, the three did stuff such as selling their AC and refrigerator to buy their own office space in Palolem. Many have worked on this film on a pro bono basis and “barter system,” informed Shanawaz. The lead of CandyFlip will be by essayed by Prashant Prakash, who was seen in The Girl in Yellow Boots. “We wanted a fresh face for our film and we had to keep in mind that we were working on a budget,” said Shanawaz.
THIS IS NOT A PREACHY ‘DON’T DO DRUGS' STORY- Clear from the onset that CandyFlip won’t be a preachy film and neither a déjà vu story, Shanawaz was clear that this film, which is a mix of Konkani, English, Hindi and a bit of Russian, would be different from the many films made based on the drug situation in Goa. “In this, we don’t say don’t do drugs because when you say that the brains gives you 20 more reasons why you should do it. Neither do we say that drugs are a state problem. We didn’t want the film to be a Trainspotting-type of film. CandyFlip is about this guy whose life changes, after just one drink,” said Shanawaz, adding, “what follows is a domino effect that takes place in his life.”
GUERILLA SHOOTING GAVE US A HIGH- So far, most of the footage shot for CandyFlip has been through guerilla shooting. “After working in Bollywood for so many years, this was such a change. Shooting for CandyFlip, everything was so organic. It was an awesome time because not everything went according to the script,” said Shanawaz. He illustrated the time when they shot for the climax for the film. “It was December 31 last year. We had planned to station ourselves on this rock on the Palolem beach called Yoga Stone. We had expected the crowd, but certainly not a drunk crowd,” said Shanawaz, adding, “We had waited for months to shoot this one shot, and when we went to this rock, there were some domestic tourists there, who refused to give us space. We begged, yet they didn’t listen. We had to then shoot in such a way that they didn’t come in the frame. However, one wrong step could have meant one of us getting killed. That night, shooting gave us a high.”
ONLINE FUNDRAISING MEANS NOT BOWING DOWN TO REQUESTS- Trying to cut corners and keep the budget as taut as possible, Shanawaz informed how there were a few investors who did seem interested in the project. “But we felt fund raising online might just help us stay away from compromising on what our film should be like. Investors will ask you things such as to add a song here and why is the hero not successful in the end. We don’t want the film to be audience-friendly, we want the story to just flow.” He continued further, “This next one month is going to be crucial for the film because the funding we get now will determine whether the film will be made soon or not.”
BOLLYWOOD NOT YET READY FOR INDEPENDENT CINEMA- Stressing on not wanting CandyFlip to be a Bollywood film, but rather “a film from Goa”, Shanawaz said, “The industry will tell that you that you can make only a 4 crore movie and you need to sign a star to make one. All want to be a Yash Raj and no one wants to support small films. In such a scenario, it’s difficult for people like us to get a break. I feel Bollywood is not ready for independent cinema. Through CandyFlip, I want to inspire other independent filmmakers.” Coming down heavily on distributors, he said, “Even they refuse you. If your film is selected at a film festival, then they sit and up and take note, otherwise they don’t believe in your story.”